Make breakfast extra special with this easy and tasty gluten-free French toast casserole recipe. You can use any gluten-free bread you like to bake up this soft and spongy breakfast treat perfect for a Sunday brunch or Easter celebration. Please see my disclosures.
While there are many uncertainties in the world of late, the one thing that is certain is that comfort food – especially a delicious French toast casserole – can make you feel better, even if just for a little bit.
And while I cannot guarantee the world will be a cozy place in a few weeks or months from now, I can guarantee that a good gluten-free brunch can help to ease the anxiety you and your families feel right now.
To create this comforting brunch recipe just in time for Easter, I went to the grocery store to pick up a few key ingredients, including a top-notch gluten-free cinnamon raisin bread.
I used Little Northern Bakehouse Bread because the cinnamon raisin flavor was calling my name. I think I made a wise choice if I don’t say so myself. Canyon Bakehouse also makes an excellent gluten-free cinnamon raisin bread as well, and I’ve been prone to use that brand as well.
Honestly, you can use whatever gluten-free bread you have on hand, especially if you need to use it up before it goes stale.
Savory vs. Sweet Breakfast
While I typically love a savory breakfast on a Sunday morning, I love surprising my kids with something sweet and special. Something out of the norm.
The kids wake up after a long slumber, and then they come downstairs all sleepy-eyed… until they see what I’ve been up to in the kitchen. Suddenly their eyes light up, and they are excited about breakfast.
I only get my kids (a teen and a tween) for a few more years before they rush off the college, so I might as well make the most of our short time together.
How to French Toast Casserole
Once you gather up your ingredients, you’ll be ready to do some baking therapy at home. The first thing you’ll want to do is cut the bread into 1-inch cubes.
Spread the cubes evenly on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, tossing halfway through, until the bread is lightly toasted. Remove from the oven.
Then you’ll want to add the toasted bread cubes to a greased 8×8-inch baking dish and set aside. We’ll come back to them in a bit.
To make the egg custard mixture that will coat your gluten-free french toast casserole, you’ll want to combine the almond milk (regular milk or another milk alternative of choice okay), eggs, pure maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk until combined.
Now for the fun part. Pour the mixture over the cubed gluten-free bread and gently mix everything together. Lightly press down on the cubes with a spatula to ensure all the bread is coated in the custardy egg mixture.
For the bread to soak in the wet ingredients, cover the baking dish and refrigerate it for at least an hour before baking. You can also refrigerate it overnight and bake it up fresh in the morning.
Remove the baking dish from the refrigerator and press down on it again to help the bread soak in the egg mixture. Top the casserole with ¾ cup of the fresh berries, leaving about ¼ cup of your berries to add just before serving.
Bake the gluten-free French toast casserole for 45-50 minutes or until the egg custard is set and the top is a light golden brown. If the casserole starts to brown too quickly, cover it with aluminum foil and continue to bake.
Remove the casserole from the oven and allow it 5-10 minutes to cool before slicing.
You can top the mixture with the remaining ¼ cup of fresh berries and dust it with a little bit of confectioners’ sugar to make it look beautiful.
You can also drizzle each serving with additional maple syrup, although if I’m being honest, I think it’s perfect as is.
Now you’re ready to dig in, too. You’ll find the top to be slightly crisp while the bottom part of the casserole is moist and tender. Mmmmm.
Plus, the berries add not only a pop of color but also offer a juicy burst in your mouth as you bite into them. Yum!
Happy Sunday brunch, my gluten-free friends!
More Recipes
Other delicious breakfast recipes found on Good For You Gluten Free include:
- Gluten-Free Cinnamon Coffee Cake
- Gooey Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls
- Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Infused With Pineapple (Dairy-Free Option)
- Gluten-Free Apple Cinnamon Bread (Dairy-Free and Egg-Free)
- Gluten-Free French Toast Sticks (Dairy-Free and Egg-Free Option)
- 42+ Gluten-Free Breakfast Recipes and Ideas
- Gluten-Free Blueberry Pancakes Make with Dairy-Free Yogurt
Gluten-Free French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
- 17 oz gluten-free cinnamon raisin bread of choice cut into 1-inch cubes (about 8 cups of loosely packed cubes)
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 3 eggs
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup fresh berries divided
- 1 Tbsp confectioners sugar for serving, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F and gather a large baking sheet. Add cubed bread to baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, tossing half way through, until bread is lightly toasted. Remove from oven.
- Grease a 8×8-inch baking dish. Add the toasted bread cubes to the baking dish and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine almond milk, eggs, pure maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk until combined, then pour the mixture over the cubed gluten-free bread.
- Lightly press down on the bread with a spatula to make sure all of the bread is covered in the egg mixture. Cover the baking dish and refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight.
- Remove the baking dish from the refrigerator to allow it to come to room temperature, then preheat the oven to 350º F. Press down on the bread, using a spatula, to help the bread soak up the egg mixture.
- Top mixture with ¾ cups of the fresh berries, leaving ¼ cup for serving, then bake the french toast casserole for 45-50 minutes, until the egg custard is set and the top is a light golden brown. If the casserole starts to brown too quickly, cover it with aluminum foil while baking.
- Let casserole cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing. Top with remaining ¼ cup of fresh berries and a dusting of confectioners' sugar. Drizzle each serving with additional maple syrup (optional).
I haven’t tried that.
Can you make this ahead of time and freeze it?
Double the dish. I think a 9×13 casserole dish would work great.
If I want to double this recipe, what size baking dish should I use?